Last year, like plenty of regular 13-year-olds, Zachary Gottesman got a new bike from his parents. But, Gottesman isn't a normal 13-year-old.

Though he'd ridden casually as a kid with his parents, Gottesman had never tried seriously riding on the road. He took his new road bike out for one ride around Paradise Drive and a few days later entered his first-ever race, the Memorial Day Criterium in San Jose.

"I just decided I wanted to try racing," he said — and so he jumped right in.

That's exactly how he approaches everything. In between his summer job in IT support at Mann Consulting and earning his 57 merit badges as he aims to become an Eagle Scout (which only requires 21 badges), the Greenbrae student also has managed to fit in becoming the California state champion in track cycling in the 13-14 age group.

He now finds himself in a tight race for the Northern California and Nevada Cycling Association's junior points series, which covers 11 races over the season and awards a cumulative winner at the end. Gottesman is in first by just two points going into the last race on July 14.

For this he trains five days a week before and after his classes at Kent Middle School, where he just graduated from eighth grade.

"I'm good at computers. I'm good at biking. That's it," Gottesman said — if only that were true.

Cyclist Kelly Silberberg has been friends with his dad, Jim, since they were both kids in Greenbrae. Silberberg, who serves as a mountain bike coach at Redwood High and who coaches his wife Lorraine Jarvis, a world champion in track cycling, thought Gottesman would enjoy biking and suggested it. They quickly found a cheap road bike online for him to try out.

And, then he threw himself all in.

Gottesman was used to training seriously for gymnastics, working on moves for hours on his own. "He just transferred that right over to cycling," Silberberg said.

Without Silberberg's help, Gottesman said he wouldn't have gotten as far in cycling. Silberberg coaches and mentors him, but tries to keep it fun. Sometimes, he said, Gottesman even has too much fun with the other kids in his races.

"He's serious on a certain level," Silberberg said. But, there are a limited number of kids his age in Northern California who are serious about and talented at cycling. Once those kids get out there, "they joke around," Silberberg said, until it comes to the finish.

Because of a lack of kids his age interested in road cycling, Gottesman mostly bikes with adults. He joined Silberberg's Marin-based team, Mellow Motors, which is predominantly made-up of Masters riders. He heads out on group rides on the weekend from Fairfax or has his dad drive him over to Oakland for Tuesday night fast rides — all with adults. What did they think of the kid the first time he showed up?

"They were all pretty amazed," Gottesman said. And, after he was mostly able to stay with the group, they were even more amazed.

"They're very accepting," Silberberg said. Of course, it helps that "he's faster than 80 percent of the adults."

Next year as a freshman he'll join the Redwood mountain bike team — even though he doesn't have much experience mountain biking — which will bring him in contact with plenty of talented kids, some of whom will be better than him.

Right now, one or two mornings a week Gottesman goes out with his adult neighbor for an early ride before he heads to school or to his summer job at his uncle's IT support consulting company. In typical fashion, he learned about computers and tech support by Googling questions he was interested in, teaching himself and then spending hours practicing, he said. That's led to a summer and vacation job.

It's almost hard to believe the kid is really a kid.

"Not many kids get up at 5 a.m. to go riding before school at 6 a.m. in the winter," Jim Gottesman said.

Two birds, one stone

Get in a great ride and raise money for some great causes with the Holstein 100 on Aug. 17. The popular century ride raises money for West Marin Senior Services and Ride4Vets.

There are 17-, 30-, 65-, and 100-mile options, all leaving from and finishing at Tomales High. Riders' registration fees go to support West Marin Senior Services. But, the extra motivated can also contribute to the pledge ride, sponsored by the Marin Sunrise Rotary Foundation. Riders set fundraising goals and pledges go to Ride4Vets, a group dedicated to helping vets rehabilitate after they return to the U.S.

The ride price includes rest stops and support along the ride. The producer of HBO's Band of Brothers will film a short documentary on site and actors from the popular mini-series will cheer riders on at rest stops. Registration ranges from $50-70 and more information can be found at www.wmss.org/holstein.